This week, we’re going to take a look at probably the most disappointing fantasy participant from every workforce within the Western Convention.
I will be taking a look at among the projections for every of those gamers and see the place they’re at a 3rd of the best way by the 2025-26 season.
We are going to try to keep away from skaters who’ve missed a good portion of the 2025-26 season as a consequence of damage.
Frank Vatrano – Anaheim Geese (29-3-1-4) (pre-season projection 81-23-21-44)
Vatrano had 37 objectives and 60 factors in 82 video games in the course of the 2023-24 season with the Geese and adopted up that profession yr with 21 objectives and 24 assists in 81 video games in 2024-25.
His ice time has gone from 17-18 minutes per sport to 12:34 per night time. His photographs on aim per sport have dipped to 1.9, which is his lowest since 2017-18. He has been on the facility play simply 16.6% of the time after being over 50% in every of the previous two seasons.
Beckett Sennecke has not helped Vatrano’s position on this workforce in 2025-26.
Mackenzie Weegar – Calgary Flames (30-1-4-5) (81-9-40-49)
Connor Zary – Calgary Flames (28-4-2-6) (66-16-24-40)
Yegor Sharangovich – Calgary Flames (26-4-4-8) (77-18-25-43)
Weegar has seen a decline in objectives, assists, hits and blocks and is a workforce worst minus 21 after 30 video games in 2025-26. He’s nonetheless getting 48.4% of power-play time, so he ought to see a slight enchancment in offense because the season progresses.
Zary is on tempo for 12 objectives and 18 factors in 2025-26 after producing 61 factors in his first 117 NHL video games (0.52/g). His ice time has been lowered to 13:57 per sport in comparison with 16:04 in 2024-25. His energy play time has gone from 44.5% to 30.8%.
Sharangovich is on tempo for 12 objectives and 12 assists after producing 17 objectives and 15 assists in 73 video games in 2024-25, which was a pointy decline from his first yr with the Flames in 2023-24, the place he had 31 objectives and 28 assists. Expectations weren’t sky excessive for Sharangovich however a modest enchancment on 2024-25 was anticipated.
Ryan Donato – Chicago Blackhawks (29-8-5-13) (80-29-34-63)
That is extra a testomony to how properly the gamers in Chicago have been in 2025-26, as Donato hasn’t been dangerous, however only a bit beneath expectations. He is on tempo for 23 objectives and 37 factors after a profession yr in 2024-25 of 31 objectives and 31 assists.
His ice time has gone from 16:19 to fifteen:02 per sport, and his energy play time has gone from 51.9% to 29.6%.
Devon Toews – Colorado Avalanche (29-1-9-10) (79-9-39-48)
The addition of Brent Burns has taken some ice time away from Toews, as he’s averaging 22:40, down from 24:35 per sport. His factors per sport (0.34/g) is at its lowest in his profession.
He does not add a lot in fantasy apart from factors and plus-minus, so with the lowered manufacturing, he isn’t almost as beneficial as he was in prior years.
Dallas Stars – Nobody
Exterior of some accidents, there is not a skater on the Stars who I’d take into account a disappointment at this stage of the yr.
Trent Frederic – Edmonton Oilers (29-2-1-3) (73-10-29-39)
Except for the Oilers signing Frederic for eight years, his worth in fantasy circles has taken a beating in 2025-26. He’s able to producing 30-40 factors and placing up 175-200 hits.
After 29 video games, he’s on tempo for eight factors and maybe 150-160 hits, whereas taking part in simply 11:44 per night time, which is hardly even third-line minutes.
Andrei Kuzmenko – Los Angeles Kings (25-4-4-8) (73-20-30-50)
Kuzmenko can produce on the NHL stage, however can be very inconsistent. He impressed in 2024-25 with the Kings with 17 factors in 22 video games, after which added six factors in six playoff video games. I believe most individuals had him pegged for 40-50 factors in 2025-26. He is on tempo for 12 objectives and 12 assists after 25 video games.
Ryan Hartman – Minnesota Wild (24-4-4-8) (67-12-19-31)
After producing between 0.61 and 0.79 factors per sport for 3 seasons with the Wild, Hartman dipped to 11 objectives and 15 assists in 69 video games (0.38/g) in 2024-25. I hoped that was a little bit of a blip, however he has come out in 2025-26, producing simply 0.32 pts/g after 25 video games. He does add faceoffs in swimming pools that embrace them, however his successful proportion has dipped to 41.9% from 47.7% in 2024-25.
Steven Stamkos – Nashville Predators (28-8-3-11) (81-32-28-60)
Jonathan Marchessault – Nashville Predators (23-5-3-8) (80-22-37-59)
Stamkos had a tough inaugural season with the Predators in 2024-25 with 27 objectives and 25 assists, which was his lowest output (over 70 GP) since his rookie yr in 2008-09. He’s on tempo for 22 objectives and 32 factors in 2025-26 after 28 video games. He does have 4 objectives and 6 factors in his previous six video games, so maybe there may be hope for a turnaround.
Marchessault has had related manufacturing points as Stamkos since becoming a member of the Predators. He’s on tempo for 17 objectives and 12 assists in 2025-26 after posting 21 objectives and 36 assists in 78 video games in 2024-25. His ice time remains to be between 17 and 18 minutes per sport, however his energy play time is right down to 55.1% from 71.1%.
Timothy Liljegren – San Jose Sharks (24-0-4-4) (70-8-23-31)
Liljegren had the potential to place up extra offense than he had previously, the place he had a profession 0.3 factors per sport. At this level, he’s on tempo for 14 factors (0.17/g) whereas averaging 20:09 per sport. His hits have decreased to beneath one per sport, so he is most likely not a 100 hits and 100 blocks candidate now.
The Sharks have performed above expectations, so they do not have a lot within the disappointment division.
Chandler Stephenson – Seattle Kraken (26-5-8-13) (78-12-39-51)
Stephenson has averaged between 0.65 and 0.81 factors per sport since 2020-21. After 26 video games in 2025-26, he’s on tempo for 41 factors (0.5/g).
He’s averaging over 20 minutes per sport and above 60% on the facility play, so he ought to enhance upon these numbers if he maintains his position. He may be vulnerable to dropping his present position.
Robert Thomas – St. Louis Blues (26-4-14-18) (76-24-66-90)
I’d have comfortably put Thomas at reaching 80-90 factors in 2025-26, however after 26 video games, he’s solely on tempo for 57 factors. His icetime was 19:57 in 2024-25 and is right down to 18:48 to this point.
The Blues have struggled offensively as a complete, however Thomas is an enormous a part of that.
Barrett Hayton – Utah Mammoth (25-3-2-5) (76-19-26-45)
The fifth total decide from 2018 does not contribute a lot in fantasy circles if he does not produce exterior of some faceoff wins. He’s on tempo for 16 factors after placing up a stable 2024-25 with 20 objectives and 26 assists in 82 video games. He is nearly in droppable territory in some swimming pools if he does not flip it round.
Jake DeBrusk – Vancouver Canucks (29-8-5-13) (81-25-23-48)
Exterior of the facility play, DeBrusk has one aim and 4 assists in 29 video games in 2025-26. Proper now, he’s on tempo for 22 objectives and 37 factors, however with out the facility play, he does not actually produce a lot. It is a good factor he has been on the facility play 67.7% of the time.
Reilly Smith – Vegas Golden Knights (26-3-3-6) (78-13-26-39)
Smith has been a reasonably protected wager for 40-50 factors since he first joined Vegas in 2017-18. After 26 video games, he’s on tempo for 10 objectives and 20 factors. His ice time has gone down from 15:26 to 13:11, and he does not present hits, blocks, or faceoff wins, so he should not be on most fantasy rosters at this level.
Gustav Nyquist – Winnipeg Jets (20-0-6-6) (79-14-29-43)
I hoped that Nyquist had a bit of extra gasoline left within the tank at 36 years of age and that he may produce someplace between 28 factors in 79 video games in 2024-25 and 75 factors in 81 video games in 2023-24 and probably give you 40-50 factors in 2025-26.
He is on tempo for twenty-four factors and has seen his ice time in Winnipeg right down to 12:22 per sport after being between 17-18 the previous few years.
Thanks very a lot for studying. When you have any feedback or ideas, please let me know within the feedback or on Twitter @gampbler15.
